Night alert in Ukraine: Russians shell historic centre of Odessa, fire started at Privoz

The night of 24 July was another test for Ukraine. Russia used combined tactics, launching Shahed drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities. The most widespread destruction was recorded in Odessa, Mykolaiv and Cherkasy.

Odessa: strikes on the historical centre and a fire at the Privoz market

The head of the Odessa regional military administration, Oleg Kiper, said that as a result of the attack, fires broke out in the city and civilian infrastructure was damaged.

• Two floors of a residential high-rise building caught fire.

• There was a fire on the roof of a two-storey building, as well as fires in shopping pavilions and a petrol station.

• Architectural monuments in the historical centre of Odessa, which is under UNESCO protection, were seriously damaged.

Mayor Gennady Trukhanov said that one of the blasts hit the famous Primorsky Boulevard, a favourite resting place for Odessans and tourists. The market "Privoz" - one of the main symbols of the city, known for its history since 1827 - also suffered from the fire.

Rescuers of the State Emergency Service reported that the fire on the market territory managed to localise and eliminate it by morning. They called Privoz "the heart of Odessa", emphasising that work is now underway to preserve the city's historical heritage.

Cherkasy: seven injured, among them a child

There were explosions in Cherkasy and the surrounding area at night. According to mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko, residential houses and infrastructure facilities were damaged as a result of the attack.

• Seven people were injured, including one child.

• The fires that broke out after the strikes were completely extinguished by morning.

Bondarenko urged residents not to ignore air alerts, recalling that the threat of ballistics use by Russia remains extremely high.

Mykolaiv: fires after Shahedov attack

Fires have broken out in Nikolaev as a result of kamikaze drone attacks. Local authorities said that there were no casualties reported at the moment, but household buildings and infrastructure facilities were damaged.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Russian army used several types of weapons - kamikaze drones and missiles - on the night of 24 July. An alert was declared almost all over the country, and the threat of strikes remained for Kiev, Poltava and Chernihiv regions.